The most satisfactory way to eat
it is with a spoon; the pulp, though rich, is not heavy, and, moreover, is
stimulating. It serves the purpose of a dessert, with a flavour and
delicacy that is indescribable and that makes one feel happy. Among the
great enjoyments of life are the various delicious fruits when really ripe
and of the best grade, but comparatively few people have that experience.
The vast majority are perfectly satisfied to eat fruit that was picked
green and matured afterward. Many years ago I tasted a real orange from
New-South-Wales, and ever since I have disdained the more acid kind.
My firmness in refusing to pay the men for more time than was necessary
produced a salutary effect upon Raja Besar. He fixed fair prices on things
I wanted to buy, which before he had not done, and I made him tie labels
on the specimens I bought. As he was truthful, he finally served as well
as Lidju. On the last day of our stay he helped me to repress the
eagerness of the Dayaks to "turn an honest penny." The prahus, besides
being defective, were not large enough for many men, and I was determined
not to have more than three in each, a quite sufficient number when going
downstream. I have a suspicion that he objected to four for reasons of
personal safety.
Owing to the rapid current, we made the return voyage in two hours, and
when we got to the Mahakam River we found it very much swollen, with logs
floating downstream beside us. Our low-lying prahus were leaking and the
situation was not agreeable, though I should have felt more anxious had I
not been with Dayaks, who are extremely able boatmen. At Long Pahangei the
captain from Long Iram, who is also the controleur of that district, had
arrived and was waiting on account of the overflow of the river. I had an
hour's talk with this pleasant man, who thinks that the Dayaks on the
Upper Mahakam ultimately must die out because they do not have enough
children to perpetuate the tribe. He said that in 1909, when he was
stationed at Puruk Tjahu, nothing was known about the country where we
then were.
The Oma-Sulings, according to their traditions, came from Apo Kayan nearly
two hundred years ago. Oma means place of abode; Suling is the name of a
small river in Apo Kayan. They had at the time of my visit six kampongs on
the Upper Mahakam, the largest of which is Long Pahangei, with about 500
inhabitants. Material for clothing is no longer woven, but is bought in
Long Iram. This is probably also the case with the Long-Glats, but the
Penihings still do some weaving.
CHAPTER XXVI
AMONG THE LONG-GLATS - IS FEAR OF EXPOSURE TO THE SUN JUSTIFIED? -
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE LONG-GLATS - GOOD-BYE TO THE MAHAKAM
In the latter part of July we went to the near-by kampong, Long Tujo ("a
small animal with many legs"), situated at the mouth of another small
tributary to the Mahakam. Here live Long-Glats who are located below the
other Bahau peoples of the river and are found as far as Batokelau, between
the upper and lower rapids. Though Long Iram is rather distant - five days'
travel down-stream, and, if the river is high, perhaps two months may be
consumed in returning - still its influence was evidenced by the several
umbrellas I saw, all black, an adaptation from the high-class Malays and an
unusual sight in these parts. The kapala of this large kampong resembled a
Malay raja, in that he always carried an umbrella when he walked and looked
pale because the sun was not allowed to shine upon him. Two days later,
when I photographed the ladies performing dances, they had at least five of
these fashionable contrivances.
It may be stated that natives of the Dutch Indies are generally afraid of
the sun. Well-to-do Malays carry umbrellas as a protection against it. In
Batavia I read in the newspapers that the Sultan of Priok, when visiting
an aviation camp, was so overcome by the heat that he had to be carried
away, regaining consciousness on arriving at his quarters. However, the
attack may have been induced to some extent by general lack of exercise
and the indolent life that characterises his compatriots who occupy high
positions.
Even some of the pagan tribes protect their heads, as the Katingans, the
Duhoi, and others, who make beautiful sunshades, which also serve in case
of rain, and this was not learned from the Malays. In the Bornean tribes
that I visited, until the child is old enough to walk, the sun is not
allowed to shine upon it even for a moment. The blacks of Australia, on
the other hand, who are in a state of absolute nudeness, pay no attention
to the sun, though in common with most natives of hot countries they
usually prefer to follow the example of the animals and remain quiet in
the middle of the day.
An umbrella of the usual type, Chinese or Japanese, is very useful for
travel in Borneo. At times it proves of excellent service in the prahu in
case of sudden showers, and it is invaluable for protecting the camera
when photographing. But as a matter of comfort and convenience it is my
custom to have my head uncovered except in rainy or cold weather. The sun
is a great friend and health-giver, and notwithstanding well-meant
warnings and an inborn fear first to be overcome, during my journeys in
Borneo I carried my hat in my pocket.
